The Great Lakes Towing Co. Handles Two Significant Cargoes

The Great Lakes Towing Company completed two significant project cargo movements. The first movement, a series of two shipments, consisted of 12 kiln sections valued at more than $12 million. Due to the size of the 90-ft. by 15.5-ft. (27-m by 5-m) kiln sections, two separate successive barge movements of six kilns each were made. The kiln sections originated in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada and were transported overland by rail to Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, where they were rolled onto a 200-ft. (61 -m) long deck barge and towed by The Great Lakes Towing Co.'s tug Superior to Chicago. The second major movement involved the shipment of a 32-ft. wide by 4.5-ft. thick (10-m by 1.4-m) 33- ton piece of mirror glass, reportedly the world's largest telescope mirror, valued at about $25 million. The mirror, made for Subaru, the name of the Japanese Large National Telescope, is to be part of an international astronomical observatory in Hawaii. The mirror originated at Corning Glass Co., Canton, N.Y. and was trucked overland to the Port of Ogdensburg, N.Y. The 135-ft. (41- m) truck, with the mirror loaded on its trailer, was driven on board the 200- ft. barge which was towed to the Port of Erie, Pa. by The Great Lakes Towing Co.'s tug Ohio.